In this article, we will elucidate the most pivotal exercises that patients should prioritize after undergoing a total knee replacement, ensuring they return to their daily activities with strength and confidence. With over four decades of experience in orthopedic physical therapy, I’ve come to realize the profound significance of rehabilitation post-total knee replacement. Among the…
Discover post-knee replacement activities to avoid for optimal joint care. Age In Place School/Buena Physical Therapy offers expert tips for a safe recovery. I am an orthopedic physical therapist with over forty years of clinical experience.I have seen thousands of total knee replacement recipients as a hospital therapist seeing patients immediately after surgery, as a…
Welcome to the informative space of Age In Place School, a division of Buena Physical Therapy, Inc., where we aim to empower you with knowledge on your journey of recovery. Kneeling after a knee replacement can be a concern for many, bringing forward questions about the practicality and safety of such activities post-surgery. Whether it’s…
This article answers the question, “Can I sit in my recliner after total knee replacement surgery?” This is the question almost every total knee replacement patient asks me on my first visit to see them in their home to initiate their home physical therapy rehabilitation, about two days after the surgery. Most have already discovered…
The research article Prehabilitation Before Total Knee Arthroplasty Increases Strength and Function in Older Adults With Severe Osteoarthritis confirms my professional opinion as a physical therapist that exercises BEFORE a total knee replacement gives the patient a big jump on the rehabilitation protocol AFTER the surgery. However, most information I see disseminated, in print as…
When I first started seeing total knee replacement patients as a physical therapist many years ago, the total knee recipient would have been in the hospital for up to 2 weeks and placed in a knee immobilizer for 6 weeks. Today the total knee replacement patients I see are all discharged within 2 days of…
As a physical therapist, having used TENS units to help with all kinds of patient’s pains on almost every body part, I was introduced to how powerful a TENS unit can be about 40 years ago, early in my career. A senior citizen presented to the physical therapy clinic at the hospital where I was…
One of the first questions my homebound total knee patients ask me (an occupational therapist) when I see them a day or two after they have been discharged to home following total knee replacement surgery is: “How can I take a shower safely without getting the bandage wet?” When Can I Shower After Knee Replacement…
A question I often hear from my patients before undergoing a total knee replacement: Is Total Knee Replacement Painful? Total knee replacement is a painful procedure; however, following normal post-surgical protocols, a patient should not experience constant pain at 7/10 or greater.They may experience sharp, fleeting pains above 7/10, but that pain should dissipate within…
In the past 10 years of seeing patients in their homes and starting their home physical therapy recovery process, I can say that I have seen fewer than 5 patients that require manipulation under anesthesia to regain range of motion after a total knee replacement. One thing I can say, of the patients I have…